Alternating-current-translating device.



ALTERNATING CURRENT TRANSLATING DEVICE. AFPLIGATION FILED 5173.25, 1907. BENEWBD Nov. 2,4, 1909.

F: HOWARB.,

Patented June 7, 1910.

w no WM LEMUEL FREDERIC HOWARD, OF EDGEW THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, 0F

CORPORATION OF -PENNSYLVANIA.

OOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A.

ALTERNATING-CURRENT-TRANSLATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters` Patent.

Application ledApril 25, 1907, Serial No. 370,151.

Renewed November 24,' 1909. Serial No. 529,813.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMUEL4 FREDERIC HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alternating Current Translating Devices, of which the following is a specifi-` cation. v

My invention relates to alternating current translating devices, for example, relays' for use in railway slgnaling systems, and especially to signaling systems employing alternating si aling current track circuits applied to e ectric railways wherein the track rails lthereof are included in and forniA part of the return pathl oreircuit for the car propulsion current; j

My invention is particularly adapted for electric railways the motor cars of which are propelled by alternating current.v

I will describe an alternating current translating device 'in the form of a relayV embodying my invention, and then point out the novel features thereof `in-clairns.

' In the accompanying drawings,.Figure 1 is a lview inside elevation of a relay embodying my iinvention. Fig. 2 is a top View ofi-the -rela-y-efiFig. l. Fig. 3 is a side elevationfof ,the relay of ig. 1, but in a dif-I ferent verticalpla'ne. Similar letters of reference designate corlrespondingparts in all of the figures.

My invention com rises in analternating current translating evice, (for example a relay) a core having a Winding or windings and two sets of poles which act upon a vane by induction to produce op 'movements of the vane. ne set of poles has .associated with `it suitable means, which when lan alternating current of one fre- `quency is traversing the coil produces a turning movement of the vane in one direction. The other set of poles has associated with it suitable means, which when an alternating current of another frequency is traversing the coil, produces a turning movement of the vane vin an opposite or reverse direction. When 'alternating currents of both frequencies are traversing the coil simultaneously the direction of turning `movement of the vane is dependent upon which alternating current is dominant 1nthe coil. The vane in its movements is` made osite or reverse to perform any desired work. `For example, in'a relay the opposite or reverse movements of the vane are availed of to open and close Patented June v, 1 910.-

contacts in one or more circuits. The vane is so mounted or has associated with it suitable meansl to return it to a position to open the contacts when neither of the alternating currents is traversing the coil.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3, the relay comprises a core A, an energizingcoil or coils B, and -a vane or armature C. The core is made of a number of rectangular shaped laminations having whatI term two outside legs aaa, and Aa middle le a1 on which the coil or coils B are place The outside-:legs are split to form air gapsand poles C1, C3 andC2 and C?. The end portions of the oles C2 and C4 are larger than the end portions of the poles C1 and C3 and this may be `accomplished by providing lateral extensions a? on these'po'les. With this form of vcore two magnetic circuits are provided, vone through the .poles C1, C? and middle leg a1 and the other through the poles C2, C4 and lmiddle legl a1.

The poles C1, C3, are spliti or bifurcated and inclosing the vupper portion of the bi- VVJfurcation of each' pole v1s a closedconductor b, preferably a copper band. The poles'C2, C4, are also split or bifurcated, andaclosed conductor fbl, preferably va copper band, -incloses the upper portion of the bifurcation of each pole. A closed conductor b2, fpreferably-of copper, C4. The coil B, or in zthe=event of there being two leg al.. This coil orcoils are connected with also incloses each pole-C2,

coil-s B in'series, are 'placed Ionthe two conductors upon which two alternating y currents of diHerent lfrequencies are 1mpressed, for example, the track rails of a track circuit fora'block section. The alternating signaling current is of a relatively high frequency, say 60 cycles, .while the alternating propulsion current 1s of a relatively lower requency,say 25 cycles.

Thevane C as I shall hereinafter designate it, is of aluminum, and formed Lto extend between the two sets of poles "C1, C3, IC2, C", and when the coil B is traversed by alternatin currents of diHerent frequencies, the vane: -moveson its pivot vor axis in-opposite 'or reverse directions laccording to Awhich set of poles 1produces 'the strongest turning'movementto open and closethe conr55 quency is dominant over the other.

tacts c1, c2. The action of the alternating current to move the vane is on the shifting magnetic field principle, which is well understood in the art. rEhe vane C is riveted 5 or otherwise secured in a stirrup D which is trunnioned at its end in non-magnetic brackets Z suitably secured to the core A, the core in turn being suitably supported on non-magnetic supports (Z1. The trunnions lo Z5 constituting the axis or pivot of the vane,

are located, in aline passing through the axial center ofthe energizing coil, and preferably they are midway between the two sets of poles. An adjustable counterweight cl2 is provided for the vane, here shown as being secured to the stirrup D, which serves to return and hold the vane C (when no current is flowing in the coil B) in such position as to have the contacts c1, c2 open.

The closed conductors Z1, b1 are both on the upper sides or halves of the poles C1, C3, C2, C1 and on` opposite sides ofthe aXis of the vane C, and it will thus be seen that these two sets of poles (C1, C3, and C2, C4)

tend to produce turning movements of the vane in opposite directions when alternating current is flowing' in the coil B. I have found by experiment that the poles Cl and C3 are relatively more eflicient at 6() cycles ithan at 25 cycles to producing a turning movement of the vane C than are the poles C2, C4, which are enlargedor have a greater end area than the poles C1, C3. The closed conductors b, b1, air gaps and areas of the poles may be so adjusted that when an alternating current of high frequency, for example, an alternating signaling current of 60 cycles is flowing in the coil B the magnetic leakage in the two magnetic circuits is such thatv the poles C1, C3 produce the strongest turning movement on the vane C and consequently the vane C moves in one direction to close the contacts c1, c2, and when an alternating current of 25 cycles is flowing in the coil B, the magnetic leakage in the two circuits is such that the poles C, C4, produce the strongest turning movement on the vane C, which is in the opposite or reverse direction. of movement produced by the alternating current of 60 cycles, and

69 tages are below the burmng out point of the coil B. p

The action of the relay, assuming the different "parts, that is, the closed conductors and air gaps are properly pro ortioned specifically stated, is as follows: I an alterf tance. The conductors L2 on the poles C2, C1,

cause more leakage across the poles C1, C, than wouldgotherwise occur if they were not present. The electro-motive force induced in these bands with a given flux is proportional to the frequency, that is the higher the frequency the greater will be the electromotive force. Consequently, a frequency of an alternating current at G0 cycles will produce more electro-motive force in the conductors b2 than an alternating current ofl 25 cycles (the frequency generally employed for car propulsion current.) The electroinotive force produces a current which produces an opposing flux, and this opposing flux tends to increase the leakage between the poles Cl, C3, leaving a comparatively smaller amount of flux .to pass between the poles C2, C4. Consequently, at this frequency the poles C1, C3, will produce the strongest turning movement onthe vane C. In the case of a low frequency current traversing the coil B, the opposing flux generated yby the conductors b2 is proportionately less than at the higher frequency, and this opposing flux has less proportional tendency to cause leakage across the poles C1, C3. Consequently, with this frequency and by reason of the enlargements on the poles C2, C, the poles C2, C?, will produce the strongest turning movement on the vane- C.

I have found that in practice the relays described operate substantially as stated and I have given my views as to the explanation of such operation, but I do not desire to be limited to any particular theory of the operation.

I do not make any broad claims herein for the broad invention herein described as such claims are in my co-pending application Serial No. 853,349, filed February 2, 1907..

Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A relay comprising an energizing coil adapted at times to be traversed by alternating currents of different frequencies, a core havingtwo magnetic paths each of which includes a set of poles and one set of poles has a larger end area than the other set, a vane within the influence of the flux traversing both of said ma etic paths, and meansfor vcausing the two uXes to exert turning efforts on said vane in opposite directions.

2. A relay comprising a core having two sets of poles, an energizing coil wound on `the core and adapted at times to be traversed by alternating currents of different frequencies, a magnetic path for each set of poles of which the core forms apart, a vane mounted on an axis located in a line passing through the axial center of the energizing coil, said vane being within the influence of the flux traversingv both of said magnetic' dominate at a higher frequenc ,whereby thev vane is caused to turn in one irection when alternating current of one frequency traverses said coil, and in the op osite direction when alternating current o a higher fre-` quency traverses said coil.

3. A relay comprising an energizing coil adapted at times to be traversed by alterhating currents of dierent frequencies; a

core ving two sets of poles; a magnetic ath for each set of poles of which the core orms a part a vane mounted on an axis located in a line passing through the axial center 'of the energizingcoil, said vane being within'the influence of the ux traversin both ofv said magnetic paths; means -in eac path for causing the flux to exert a turning effort on said vane, and'means for causing the flux in one ath to predominate at 'one fbr causing the flux in the other path to predominate at a hi her frequency, whereby the vane is' cause to turn in one direction, when alternating` current of one frequency traverses said coil, and in the opposite directionwhen alternating cur-v rent of a higher frequency traverses said coil, contacts opened and closed by said vane in its turning movement; and means carried by the vane to have it open the contacts when no current is lowingmthe energizing coil.

4. A relay comprising acore having two sets of poles; an energizing coil wound on the core and adapted at times to be traversed by alternating currents of 'dii'erent frequencies; a ma etic. path for each set of poles of which t e core forms a part; a vane mounted on' an axis located in a line passing through the axial centerof the energizing coil, said vane being within the influence of the flux traversing both dof said magnetic paths; means for varying the ma vetic fluxes in the two magnetic paths at di erent frequencies, whereby at one frequency the rotative effect on the vane of one set of'pole pieces predominates, while at another frequency, the rotative eiect on the vane of the 'other set of pole-pieces predominates.

5. A relay comprising an energizingcoil adapted at times to be traversed by alternating currents of different frequencies; a core aving two sets of poles; va magnetic ath for eachset of poles of which the core orms a part; a vane mounted on an axis located in a line passing through the axial center of the energizing coil, said vane being within the influence of the flux traversing both ofsaid magnetic paths; means for varying the ma etic fluxes in the two ma Yetic paths at different frequencies, where y at one frequency the rotative effect on the vane of one set of pole pieces predominates, while at another frequencythe rotative effect on lthe vane lof the other set. of pole pieces predominates, contacts opened and closed by said vane in` its turning movements and means carried by the vane to have it open the contacts when no current is flowing in the energizing coil.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this s ecification in the presence of two subscribe witnesses.

' l LEllUllL FREDERIC HOWARD.

Witnesses:

" A. HERMAN WEGNER,

H. A. HAMILTON. 

